Barbed fence



(Model.)

H. M. UNDERWOOD.

BARBED FENCE.

No. 297,203. Patented Apr. 22, 1884.

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* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. UNDERWOOD, OF WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS.

BARBED FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 297,203, dated April22, 1884.

Application filed December 24, 1883.

of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Barbed Fences, ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to produce a barb-fence which shall beextremely cheap to manufacture, and which shall securely hold its barbsfrom being acc dentally displaced, and, further, shall presentsufficient surface to be readily seen. It especially relates to animprovement upon that class of barb-fences for which Letters Patent weregranted to me on the 6th day of August, 1878, No. 206,7 54.

My invention consists in constructing the barbwire'with two strandstwisted together, and combining therewith ordinary merchantable tacksarranged and secured together in pairs by thin metallic strips orplates, as hereinafter more particularly described.

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my improved barbed wire, andFig. 2 represents a cross-section on the lines mwof Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in both figures.

A represents the main wire, consisting of two strands or small wires, ora.

B represents the barb, consisting of ordinary headed tacks having asharp point, such as are sold in the market under the differentdenominations of carpet tacks, upholsterers tacks, &c. The tacks may beof any ordinary form, provided only that theyhave an enlarged head and asharp point.

0 represents a thin metallic strip or plate cut from a strip orotherwise, and bent back or doubled upon itself at or about its middle,having previously had two tacks inserted through it from. one side up toor nearly to the heads of the tacks. Being thus doubled the heads ofsuch tacks are brought the one against the other, and their points arepresented in opposite directions. Plate 0 may be made of any size orshape desired, provided it secure the tacks in the position described.Being more or less conspicuous on the barbed wire, it serves a usefulpurpose in warning any who may approach of the location of i the barbedfence before they have come in contact With by Letters Patent, is-

(ModeL) the barbs. Tacks or barbs B B- having been secured in the plate0, as described, the thus prepared double-pointed barb and warning plateis inserted between the strands a a of the wire A, preferably while thestrands are being twisted together, and, as shown in Fig. 2, in such amanner that one barb and one end or side of the plate shall project fromone side of the wire A, leaving the opposite barb and the remaining endor side of the plate to project on the other side of said wire A. Theprocess of twisting the strands together holds the barbs secure in theplate, and both together secure in their position in the wire A. In myformer patent; to which reference is made, the use of at least threewires or strands is necessary, and in practice they have been so usedwith satisfactory results, except inthe matter of cost, a given weightor strength of barbed wire to the mile being more expensive in threestrands than the same in but two strands.

I do not claim the use of tacks as barbs for wire; nor securing thebarbs between the strands by twisting the strand together; nor do Iclaim a warning plate attached to a barbed wire, as I am aware that allthese devices are old; neither do I now claim inserting tacks for barbsthrough a continuous thin metallic strip combined with wire orotherwise, as for such specific, forms of barbed fences I shall petitionfor the grant of separate Letters Patent.

What I do claim, and now desire to secure 1. The barbed wire A,consisting of ordinary merchantable tacks, B B, secured within thedoubled plate 0 between the two strands a a of said wire A,substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with the folded warning-plate G, of the headed barbsB, inserted therein, the barbs piercing the warning-plate, and havingtheir heads secured between its folded sides.

HENRY M. UNDERWOOD.

Witnesses:

'0. M. WHIPPLE,

O. W. UNDERWOOD.

